Overhead operating garage door construction



July 18, 1939. H. HA BARTEL OVERHEAD OPERATlNG GRAGE DOOR CONSTRUCTIONFiled July lO, 1957 Patented July 18, 1939 APATENT .oFF'lcE OVERHEADOPERATING GARAGE DOOR CONSTRUCTION Han-y n. partei, Philadelphia, Pa.,signor to Huck-Gerhardt Company, Inc., Philadelphia,

Application July 10, 1937, Serial No. 153,030

` 7 Claims. (Cl. 20--20) This invention relates to an overhead operatinggarage door construction, and has for its primary object the design andco-relation of a plurality of devices, whereby the door, upon reachingits closed position, will be automatically locked, but is capable ofbeing manually released,

and when the door approaches and finally'` reaches its fully openposition, it will be retarded in its sliding action, thereby greatlyincreasing the silent action of the door and greatly reducing the shockto which parts of overhead operating types of door structures aresubjected.

An object of the invention resides in the combination and co-relation ofa manually operated releasing device and an automatically operatedretarding device, the first functioning to hold the door in closed,locked position, and the latter` functioning as a bumper, or retardingdevice, as the door reaches its nal open position.

, A feature of the invention resides in the novel design of the'component parts of the retarding device, whereby the door willautomatically be subjected to a yieldable, retarding action as the sameapproaches its final open position.

Another object of the invention resides in the inclined relation of theauxiliary track with the main track, and the arrangement of the bumpersprings, whereby the door is not only subjected to a yieldable bumperaction when approaching its nal open position, but is also subjected toa retarding action.

With these and other objects in View, the invention will be betterunderstood from the iollowing detailed description, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, wherein:

' Figure l is a vertical sectional view of my improved door constructionin closed position.

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1, showing the door approaching itsnal open position.

Figure 3 is a large side elevation of the retarding device.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view on line d--A of Figure 3.

Again referring to the drawing, illustrating one of the manyconstructions of my invention, the numeral I designates a door frameforming a door opening 2. 'Ihe door 3 for closing the opening 2 consistsof a plurality of panels 4 hingcdly connected together, as indicated at5, and carrying guide rollers 6 operating along a guide track I thatconsists of a vertical portion 8 and a horizontal portion 9.

The door is raised by any suitable type of counterbalancing mechanismI0. 'I'he particular type illustrated includes a coil spring II having aexible cable connection I2 with the door, -the connection l2 passingaround guide pulleys I3.

Associated in a novel combination with the door is a locking andreleasing device I4 and a retarding device or bumper I5, the formerfunc- 5 tioning to lock and release the door when in its vertical closedposition, and the latter functioning to automatically retard and'absorbshocks as the door approaches and finally reaches its fully openposition.

The locking and releasing device I4 consists of an attaching plate I6having upstanding ears I1 to which is pivotally connected theintermediate portion of a lever I8. One end of the leverI8 carries aroller I9 having an axle 20 in direct 15 vertical alignment with thevpivot of the lever so that the roller may directly engage the top edgeof the door, as shown in Figure 1, to prevent the rising thereof by thecounterbalancing mechanism I0. A'spring 2I automatically swings the 20roller to the position just mentioned and to assure accurate verticalalignment of the connected p axle 20, the pivot of the lever I8, and thetop edge l of the door, an adjusting screw 22 is mounted in the lever,and this screw contacts with the plate I6.

As the spring 2| functions to automatically move the catch to lockingposition, manually operated means are provided for swinging the devviceIll to an unlocking position, consisting of a cable 23 passing aroundguide pulleys 24 and terminating in a handle 25 by means of which thecable 23 may be subjected to a pull for the swinging ofthe device I4 toan unlocking position.

The retarding device or bumper I5 consists of 35 an auxiliary track y26pivotally connected to the main track, as indicated at 2T. The tracksurface 28 of this auxiliary track extends at an angle tothe tracksurface 29 of the main track and to hold this auxiliary track at thisinclination, there 0 is provided a bumper spring 30 mounted around abolt 3| that is carried by the main track and loosely mounted in theauxiliary track.

The door carries an auxiliary roller 32 which is adapted to ride uponthe auxiliary track as the door approaches its final open position.Attention is called to the fact that the correlation of the inclinedtrack surfaces 28 and 29 and the position of the auxiliary roller 32 issuch that the roller 32 will gradually depress the auxiliary 50 track asthe roller slides along the track surface 28. This depressing of theauxiliary track compresses the spring 30 which thereby causes the spring30 to function as a bumper spring and, further, increases frictionalcontact betweenV the roller 32 and the track surface 2B, and between theguide roller B and the track surface 29.

A very important feature of the retarding device resides ln the factthat the same is so designed as to perform two functions-act as abumper, and act as a retarding device-thereby gradually reducing thespeed of the travelling door as it approaches final open position, andyieldably absorbing shocks created by the door in the reaching of itsfinal open position.

Oi course, it is to be understood that the various structural details ofthe locking and releasing device and the structural details of theretarding device or bumper may be changed in many ways. Therefore, myinvention is not to be limited in any manner whatsoever except as setforth in the following claims.

What'I claim is:

1. An overhead door structure of the character described comprising: adoor frame forming a door opening', a door slidably mounted in relationto the door frame for movement to opening positionk and to closingposition, guide rollersl carried by the door,` a guide track having itsinside portion in engagement with said rollers for guiding the door inits movements, an auxiliary track section mounted on the outside portionof the guide track and yieldably held in inclined relation with respectto thev associated guide track and to the direction of the door whenmoving to its opening position, and means carriedr by the door in aplane paralleling that of the guide rollers thereon and disposed outsidethe guide track for riding engagement with said auxillary track sectionwhereby said guide rollersbe cause of their engagement with the guidetrack, will cause said means carried by the door to wedgingly ride overthe auxiliary track section and forcibly depress the same, therebygradually retarding the door in its final opening movement.

2. An overhead door structure of the character described comprising: adoor frame forming a door opening, a door slidably mounted in relationto the door frame for movement to opening position and to closingposition, guide rollers carried by the door, a guide track having itsinside portion in engagement with said rollers for guiding the door inits movements, spring means connected to the door and normally acting tourge the same to its opening position, an auxiliary track sectionmounted on the outside portion of the guide track and yieldably held ininclined relation with respect to the associated guide track and to thedirection of movement of the door when moving to its opening position,and means carried by the door in a plane paralleling that of the guiderollers thereon and disposed outside the guide track for ridingengagement with said auxiliary track sectionwhereby said guide rollers,because of their engagement with the guide track, will cause said meanscarried by the door to wedgingly ride over the auxiliary track sectionand forcibly depress the same, thereby gradually retarding the door inits final opening movement against the action of said spring means.

3. An overhead door structure of the character described comprising: adoor frame forming a door opening, a door slidably mounted in relationto the door frame for movement to opening position and to closingposition, guide rollers carried by the door, a guide track having itsinside portion in engagement with'said rollers for guiding the door inits movements, spring means connected to the door and normally acting tourge the same to its opening position, means releasably engageable withthe door for maintaining the same in its closing position against thenormal action of said spring means, an auxiliary track section arrangedon the outside portion of the guide track and yieldably held in inclinedrelation with respect to the associated guide track and to the directionof movement of the door when moving to is opening position, and anauxiliary roller carried by the door in a plane paralleling that of theguide rollers thereon anddisposed outside the guide track for ridingengagement with said auxiliary track section whereby said guide rollers,because of their engagement with the guide track, will cause theauxiliary roller to wedgingly ride over the auxiliary track and forciblydepress the same, thereby gradually retarding the door in itsnal openingmovement against the action of the spring means when released by saidreleasable door engageable means.

4. An overhead door structure of the character described comprising: adoor frame forming a door opening, a door slidably mounted in relationto the door frame for vertical movement to closing position and forhorizontal movement to openingposition, guide rollers carried by thedoor, guide tracks having their inside portions in engagement with saidrollers and having contiguous vertical and horizontal portions forguiding the door in its movements, counterbalancing means connected tothe door and normally acting to urge the same into its horizontalopening position, means releasably engageable with the door formaintaining the same in its vertical closing position against the normalaction of said counterbalanuing means, an auxiliary track sectionarranged on the outside of the horizontal portion of each guide trackand yieldably held in inclined relation with respect to said horiontalportion of the associated guide track and in the direction of movementof the door whenrnoving to its opening position, and auxiliary rollerscarried by the door in a plane paralleling that of the guide rollersthereon and disposed outside the guide tracks for riding engagement withsaid yieldably inclined auxiliary tracks whereby said guide rollers,because of their engagement with the guide tracks, will cause theauxiliary rollers to wedgingly ride over the auxiliary tracks andforcibly depress the same, thereby gradually retarding the door in itsfinal opening movement against the action of the counterbalancing meanswhen released by said releasable door engageable means.

5. An overhead door structure of the character described comprising: adoor frame forming a door opening, a door consisting of a plurality ofhinged panels slidably mounted in .relation to the door frame forvertical movement to closing position and for horizontal movement toopening position, guide rollers carried by the panels of said door,guide tracks having their outside portions in engagement with saidrollers and having contiguous vertical and horizontal portions forguiding the door in its movements, counterbalancing means connected tothe door and normally acting to urge the same into its horizontalposition, means releasably engageable with vthe door for maintaining thesame in its vertical closing position against the normal action of saidcounterbalancing means, an auxiliary track section arranged on theoutside of the horizontal portion of each guide track and yieldably heldin inclined relation with respect to said horizontal portion of theassociated guide track and to the direction of the door when moving toits opening position, and auxiliary rollers carried by said uppermostpanel of the door in a plane paralleling that of the guide rollersthereon and disposed outside the guideA tracks for riding engagementwith said yieldably inclined auxiliary tracks whereby said guiderollers, because of their engagement with the guide tracks, will causethe auxiliary rollers to wedgingly ride over the auxiliary tracks andforcibly depress the same, thereby gradually retarding the door in itsiinal opening movement against the action of the counterbalancing meanswhen released by said releasable door engageable means. i

6. An overhead door structure of the charac-- ter described comprising:a door frame forming a door opening, a door consisting of a plurality ofhinged panels slidably mounted in relation to the door frame forvertical movement toclosing position and for horizontal movement toopening position, guide rollers carried by the panels of said door,guide trackshaving their inside portions in engagement with said rollersand having contiguous vertical and horizontal portions for guiding thedoor in its movements, counterbalancing means connected to the door andnormally acting to urge the same into its horizontal position, meansreleasably engageable with the door for maintaining the same in itsvertical closing position against the normal action of saidcounterbalancing means, an auxiliary track section'arranged on theoutside of the horizontal portion of each guide track and yieldably heldin inclined relation with respect to said hori` zontal portion of theassociated guide track and to the direction of the door when moving toits opening position, and auxiliary rollers carried by said uppermostpanel of the door in a plane paralleling that of the Vguiderollersthereon and disposed outside the guide tracks forv riding engagementwith said yiel'clably inclined auxiliary tracks whereby said guiderollers, because of their engagement with the guide tracks, will causethe auxiliary rollers to wedgingly ride over the auxiliary tracks andforcibly zdepress the same.

thereby gradually retardingthe door in its iinal ing device including anauxiliary track section 90 arranged on the outside of the guide trackadja- .cent its Dend portion and yieldably held in inclined relationwithrespect thereto, and means carried by the door in a planeparalleling that of the guide track for riding into wedging engagementover said yieldable auxiliary track section, whereby said guide rollers,because of their engagement with the guide track, will cause said meanscarried by the door to wedgingly ride over the auxiliary track sectionand forcibly depress the same, thereby gradually retarding the door uponreaching the end o! its closing movement.

the guide rollers thereon and disposed outside g5 HARRYEBAR'I'EL.' 85

